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Hey, Midtown! This week: thousands packed Peachtree and 10th streets on Sunday for the Atlanta Pride Parade, after Isaias forced the festival to squeeze its whole weekend into one day at Piedmont Park. We also have free Sunday artisan markets at Midtown Green, Duracell's new Midtown research center, and plenty to do around the park.

- News — The Atlanta Pride Parade and Festival leads the way, along with Isaias power outages, Duracell's new Science Square center, and a delayed vote on the jail sale.
- Business — Midtown Alliance has launched free Sunday artisan markets at Midtown Green, with three monthly dates left through December, including Oct. 25.
- Events — Malcolm Gladwell takes the Symphony Hall stage, MODA serves up salt-themed tastings, and Piedmont Park offers a cider-making workshop and the weekly Green Market.
- Government — Fulton set its tax rate at 8.87 mills and voted to start abolishing its ethics board, while NPU-E reviewed permits and the City Council has a full week of committee meetings ahead.
- Construction — Corroded garage joists on Peachtree, new interior renovations, GDOT bridge and lighting projects, and a Level 1 signal repair at Peachtree and 6th.

Let's dive in.

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'Everyone feels loved': Thousands flood streets for Atlanta Pride Festival and Parade
The parade stepped off at noon Sunday near the Civic Center MARTA station, heading north on Peachtree Street and east on 10th Street to Piedmont Park, where rapper JT headlined an afternoon of performances. Organizers scrubbed Saturday's events because of Hurricane Isaias and compressed the festival into one day, and Rep. Everton Blair Jr. served as honorary grand marshal.

Isaias knocks out power to tens of thousands across metro Atlanta
As of 2 p.m. Saturday, about 50,000 Georgia households were without power, including 4,300 in DeKalb County, 2,500 in Gwinnett, 2,000 in Fulton, 600 in Cobb and 200 in Clayton. A high wind warning and flood watch remain in effect for North and Central Georgia until Sunday morning, and a state of emergency is in effect through Oct. 15.

Duracell Opens New Global Research and Development Center in Midtown Atlanta
The 83,000-square-foot Global Innovation Center at Science Square is intended to help the battery maker move projects from concept to commercialization. The facility will employ 120 people, and Duracell also operates a manufacturing plant in LaGrange and a distribution center in Fairburn.

Atlanta City Council delays decision on jail sale to Fulton County
The council put the item on hold for two weeks. Fulton County has agreed to pay $68 million to convert the Atlanta City Detention Center into an additional jail, and the county estimates about $75 million in upgrades are needed at the facility. Council members raised questions about those upgrades, employee retention, and how the sale proceeds would be used.

Downtown Atlanta's Stitch project to try again for federal funding
Atlanta officials are preparing a renewed application for federal infrastructure grants for The Stitch, a planned greenspace capping the Downtown Connector. The project would connect Downtown and Midtown.

Early voting begins next week: Fulton provides 32 advance polling venues
Advance voting for the Nov. 3 general election, which includes the governor's race, runs from Tuesday, Oct. 13 through Friday, Oct. 30. Seven of the county's 32 locations will accept absentee by-mail ballots through an on-site drop box during early voting dates and hours.

BUSINESS

Midtown Alliance launches Midtown Artisan Markets series at Midtown Green — Midtown Alliance has launched a series of free outdoor Sunday markets at Midtown Green, its four-acre public space in Midtown, with 20 to 30 local artisan vendors each from noon to 6 p.m. and three monthly markets remaining from October through December, including one on Sun., Oct. 25.

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Monday, October 12
- Atlanta Climate Week’s Innovation Day | SCADshow
- Like Father | Hertz Stage at Alliance Theatre
- In Conversation with Malcolm Gladwell | Atlanta Symphony Hall

Tuesday, October 13
- Yoga Flow at 10th Street Park | 10th Street Park
- Big Peach Social Run | Big Peach Ride and Run
- Community Craft Night | Piedmont Park
- Alston Lecture: Felicia Feaster – The Frightful Botanical | Atlanta Botanical Garden

Wednesday, October 14
- Salt, Time, and the Smoky Mountain Ham: A Conversation with Darrell Benton | Museum of Design Atlanta (MODA)
- Milo Rossi: Offline and In Person | Centerstage Theater The Loft
- Blessing Offor | Vinyl
- Cider Making Workshop | Piedmont Park
- Plant. Eat. Repeat. Workshop: Container Gardening for Edible Plants | Atlanta Botanical Garden

Thursday, October 15
- Grand Tasting Midtown by Taste of Atlanta | Epicurean Atlanta
- Beautiful Briny Sea x Lewis Pogue: Salt and Chocolate Tasting with Suzi Sheffield and Tom Simons | Museum of Design Atlanta (MODA)
- Great Lake Swimmers | THE LOFT
- Digital Art Studio: Bewitched Worlds | Museum of Design Atlanta (MODA)
- Fest-of-Ale | Atlanta Botanical Garden
- Candlelight: Bach to Beatles | Magnolia Hall

Friday, October 16
- Fortune Feimster: Takin' Care of Biscuits Comedy Tour | Atlanta Symphony Hall

Saturday, October 17
- Guster with the ASO | Atlanta Symphony Hall
- Monster Mash | Center For Puppetry Arts
- Design Next: Seeing & Sketching | Peachtree Branch Library
- Green Market | Piedmont Park
- Fall Flower Arrangements | Atlanta Botanical Garden

Sunday, October 18
- Goblins in the Garden | Atlanta Botanical Garden, Inc.
- Outlander in Concert | Fox Theatre
- LaMP | THE LOFT

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Note: our information comes from posted meetings documents (agendas and minutes when available) — latest source document hyperlinked to each meeting.

Past Week Roundup

Fulton County Board of Commissioners
Commissioners set the 2026 property tax rates, including a General Fund rate of 8.87 mills, after a push for a lower 8.22 mill rollback died for lack of a second. They also voted 4-1 to start abolishing the county Board of Ethics and replace it with independent hearing officers, and the County Attorney now has to draft the ordinance that makes it official. The board unanimously approved about $14 million in standby wastewater construction contracts and $3.76 million more for maintenance and upgrades at the Camp Creek facility. A $9.58 million contract extension with Transdev for senior and behavioral health transportation was held, so that service's funding stays unsettled for now. And commissioners voted 5-0 to direct the County Manager to write policies for how the county uses artificial intelligence.

Atlanta NPU-E
The NPU-E meeting on Oct. 6 took up a food truck permit, alcohol licenses for two Midtown eateries, and zoning appeals over a terminated building permit and a commercial sign dispute. It also covered three event permits, including the Atlanta Halal Fall Festival and the Atlanta Persian Festival in Piedmont Park. NPU-E only advises, so its votes go to city boards as recommendations. The city makes the final calls at later hearings, and the agenda is the only record posted so far, so outcomes from the meeting aren't yet public. Minutes for this meeting and for the council meetings below haven't been published yet.

Atlanta City Council
The full City Council agenda on Oct. 5 included a citywide rule requiring a special use permit for every new self-storage facility, plus a vote on ending admission fees at city pools during open swim hours. It also listed $2.34 million to buy about 12.6 acres for a new park in southwest Atlanta, along with several rezonings of industrial sites into mixed-use development. As covered in today's news section, the detention center sale to Fulton County was put on hold. Proposals to ban data centers from using drinking water for cooling and to create a data center task force sat in committee. Over at the Committee on Council, the agenda covered a push for police officers at recreation centers used as polling sites and a measure to call public commenters in the order they signed up. It also listed board appointments, including a reappointment to the Midtown Community Improvement District board.

Atlanta Public Schools
The Board of Education gave final adoption to the tax levy resolution for the FY2027 General Fund budget, which sets the school portion of your property tax bill. Board members approved construction management contracts for building upgrades at Booker T. Washington High School and Mary Lin Elementary. A third contract covers building systems and HVAC work at Parkside Elementary, Heritage Academy, and Hollis Innovation Academy. The board also approved leasing the former Towns Elementary property to the Atlanta Volunteer Lawyer Foundation and Compudopt, which puts a vacant school building back to use. It advanced updates to its student screen time policy too, so classroom technology rules could change in your child's school.

Notable Neighborhood Mentions

Atlanta NPU
- 893 Peachtree St NE — A special use permit application to operate a food truck on the commercial corridor is on the agenda.
- Sozou (1020 Spring St NW) — A new alcohol license application is being proposed for an open-air café.
- Piedmont Park — Permits for the Atlanta Halal Fall Festival and the Atlanta Persian Festival are on the agenda for neighborhood review.
- 1328 Peachtree St NE — A zoning appeal challenging an administrative decision over on-site commercial signage is on the agenda.

Meetings This Week
- Atlanta City Council — Zoning Committee | Oct-12, 11:00 AM | key topics: citywide zoning code overhaul, redefining family in city zoning, BeltLine industrial site rezonings
- Atlanta City Council — Public Safety & Legal Administration Committee | Oct-12, 1:00 PM | key topics: restrictions on weapon-equipped robotics, alcohol licensing procedures, legal claim settlements
- Atlanta City Council — City Utilities Committee | Oct-13, 10:00 AM | key topics: data center water cooling limits, commercial septic tank ban, water distribution upgrades
- Atlanta City Council — Community Development/Human Services Committee | Oct-13, 1:30 PM | key topics: Memorial Drive Greenway expansion, park task order funding, federal housing grants
- Atlanta City Council — Transportation Committee | Oct-14, 10:00 AM | key topics: Centennial Yards Complete Streets grant, street abandonments, traffic-calming studies
- Atlanta City Council — Finance/Executive Committee | Oct-14, 1:30 PM | key topics: Atlanta City Detention Center sale, FY 2027 property tax rates, data center tax incentive compliance

CONSTRUCTION

Permits
- 1660 Peachtree St NE: Commercial permit filed to remove and replace 21 corroded floor joists in the parking garage. The work includes associated concrete and asphalt repair. The permit is waiting on additional materials, so expect garage disruption once it moves forward.
- 1175 Peachtree St NE: Full-scope interior renovation filed for a commercial space. It covers demolition of existing conditions and a new interior fit-out. The permit is pending review, and it signals a major refresh for the space.
- 145 15th St NE: Interior condo renovation filed. The plan converts the second bathroom into a laundry room. The permit is pending review.
- 1100 Peachtree St NE: Issued electrical permit for office upgrades. The work adds four wall feeds, two floor boxes, and two card readers. It looks like a tenant buildout in progress.
- 10 10th St NE: Commercial alteration filed to cut a new door into an existing wall. There's no mechanical, electrical, or plumbing work. It's a small change, but it could mean a layout shift for the space.

Road Work

Under Construction
- SR 8 & SR 8 We from SR 3 to SR 42 — Resurfacing of SR 8 to improve the road's low pavement condition score.
- Bridge Preservation @ 7 Locs in Cobb, Dekalb & Fulton — Bridge preservation work at several bridges in Cobb, DeKalb and Fulton counties, including Deering Road over the I-75/I-85 ramp, with new overlays, repainted steel beams and replaced bridge joints.
- Buford Spring Connector @ I-85 - Tunnel Lighting — The tunnel's old high-pressure sodium lights are being replaced with energy-efficient LEDs, with conduit and wiring replaced where needed.
- I-75 from I-85 to Memorial Drive — Crews are swapping the old high-pressure sodium lights along this stretch for energy-efficient LEDs, and may also replace poles, conduit and wiring.
- SR 9 Fm SR 3 to N of Paces Ferry Rd & SR 9 So Fm SR 9 to SR 9 — Resurfacing of SR 9 to improve the road's low pavement condition score.
- I-75 @ Ralph Mcgill Blvd & @ Baker Street - Tunnel Lighting — The tunnels' old high-pressure sodium lights are being replaced with energy-efficient LEDs, with conduit and wiring replaced where needed.
- SR 3/Us 41 from Cs 1704/Tech Pkwy to Cs 696/Hemphill Ave — The cluster of intersections at Northside Drive, 14th Street and Hemphill Avenue is being simplified to allow more flexible signal timing.

Service Requests
- Traffic Signal Repairs — Seven non-emergency reports came in Oct. 6 to 9. They cover 13th St NE and Piedmont Ave NE, Piedmont Ave and 15th St, 10th St NE and Piedmont Ave NE, and 17th St and Peachtree St, plus two other spots. Piedmont Ave takes the brunt of it. Crews have already fixed one.
- Emergency Signal Repair — Peachtree St and 6th St got a Level 1 emergency report on Oct. 10. Crews are working on it, so approach that intersection carefully.
- Litter Removal — Durant Pl NE has litter piling up along the right of way.
- Overgrowth — Someone flagged a visibility problem from overgrowth on Westminster Dr NE. It's been cleared.
- Potholes — Avery Dr NE has a pothole you'll want to dodge.

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Until next week,
Midtown Busybody

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Disclaimer: We use advanced data retrieval and analysis techniques across hundreds of sources, and may be prone to occasional error. Independently verify information with a secondary source, and please let us know if we got anything wrong via the feedback form.